This year, lawmakers in the General Assembly came together, crossing party lines to pass a series of bills that could bring real change to Virginia. These included efforts to raise the minimum wage, create a paid family and medical leave program and launch a legal retail marijuana market set to open in 2026. These bills were seen as a way to lift up working families, give people the support they need to care for loved ones and tap into a new source of revenue for the state.

But, as expected, Gov. Glenn Youngkin put the brakes on much of this progress, vetoing more than a hundred bills, including many that would have had a positive impact on the lives of Virginians. Among the vetoed measures were those to raise the minimum wage, to $13.50 an hour by 2026 and another that would have provided paid family and medical leave for workers across the state.

The governor also vetoed the bill to create a legal recreational marijuana market, one that promised to generate significant revenue for the state and create new jobs. What? I thought Republicans liked creating revenue. Something doesn’t smell right here, and it’s not the weed bill. We’ve heard the governor’s claims about regulatory overreach and whatnot, but like a throw pillow on sale at Target, we’re not buying that right now.

Now, the future of these measures is up in the air as the General Assembly considers whether to override the vetoes. The idea that the fate of these proposals are tied to whether politicians with differing opinions can find common ground in a short period of time – which they will have to do to override his vetoes – is not a reassuring one. We hope they can continue the progress that was made in passing these bills and move them forward for Virginia.